Tuesday, 24 June 2014

The BBC's new diversity programme is clearly discriminatory

“The BBC gets much right on diversity, but the simple fact is that we need to do more. I am not content for the BBC to be merely good or above average”

Lord Hall, Director general, BBC

It turns out that the entire BBC will soon get the BBCWorld Service "treatment":

One in seven BBC presenters and actors is to be black, Asian or minority ethnic within the next three years, it has been announced, as Lord Hall pledges to improve diversity.

Lord Hall, the director-general, has promised 15 per cent of on-air BBC staff will be black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) by 2017, along with one in ten managers. --

Speaking at the BBC’s Elstree Studios, Lord Hall promised the corporation aimed to be “beyond reproach” on diversity issues, as he announces a new group of advisors including comedian Lenny Henry, athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and broadcaster Baroness Floella Benjamin.

He has now confirmed a set of targets for the BBC, to be fulfilled over the next three years.

By prioritizing one minority group, BAME, Lord Hall clearly discrimates against all other minorities, which should be offered the same chance to work as presenters, actors and managers at the BBC. Here are just a few examples of minority groups which without doubt should be included in the new diversity programme:

UK's 8 million illiterates (The World Literacy Foundation says that one in five of the UK population are so poor at reading and writing they struggle to read a medicine label or use a chequebook.)

Obese people (one in four adults in the UK)

25% of people in the lower social brackets who are smokers

Ale drinkers (31% of the adult population)

Tea drinkers(53 per cent of the Brits rely on a traditional cup of tea, at around 8am on average, to help kick start their working day)